For those who are saps for the holiday dedicated to love, or even those haters who loathe the 14th of February, you may have found your common ground.
Taking its name from Cupid’s holiday, “Valentine’s Day,” directed by Garry Marshall (“Pretty Woman” and “The Princess Diaries”) shows a day in the life of many different characters.
With so many stars cast in the film, it would be difficult to give a detailed synopsis of the film without giving away some of the twists and surprises that kept it interesting and amusing.
The movie begins with a sunrise over Los Angeles on Valentine’s Day morning and takes its audience through a day in the life of 20 characters.
The plot is centralized around Reed, (Ashton Kutcher) a florist, and his best friend Julia (Jennifer Garner), a grade school teacher. While both are in love in different ways, they seem to stumble across it unexpectedly.
From a fourth-grader to a senior citizen couple, Marshall’s film is filled with an all-star ensemble who portray characters either chasing or avoiding l’amour.
If single or with friends in the theater, audience members can sympathize with the woman who holds an annual “I Hate Valentine’s Day” party, equipped with a heart-shaped piñata and an aluminum baseball bat (see picture).
If in love, there are plenty of story lines in which to indulge, but proceed with caution, for some of these subplots include cheating, lying and interestingly enough, phone sex.
As if that wasn’t enough, “Valentine’s Day” will charm with a child desperately seeking flowers for his Valentine, high school lovers, renewed vows and unanticipated love.
Whether it’s hundreds of thousands of miles in the air, in a Hollywood cemetery, or on the playground of an elementary school, the plots of the various characters overlap and intertwine, allowing for less confusion and more laughs.
Among the long list of celebs is Taylor Swift, making her film debut as a ditz on the high school dance team who received a giant ‘I Love You’ teddy bear from her boyfriend, played by Taylor Lautner.
It was hard to distinguish whether it was her character’s persona or Swift’s severe lack of acting skills that put her on the same intelligence level of her teddy bear from the very first words uttered on screen.
The rest of the cast who has veteran film actors on their resumes brought to the table laughs and surprises, although some roles may seem hackneyed for some A-listers.
Kutcher’s stint as a newly engaged man will remind audiences of his past romantic comedies such as “Just Married” or “What Happens in Vegas.” Garner as the best friend is reminiscent of her character in “13 Going on 30,” and Patrick Dempsey as the attractive, well to do doctor in the film may sound familiar. “Grey’s Anatomy” anyone?
Not to worry though; audiences will be both enthused and surprised by the uncommon performances of some of the cast.
Anne Hathaway’s role as a phone sex operator alone will make audiences completely forget her past role as Princess of Genovia, and Jessica Biel as a hot, single mess is a deviation from her roles in “Blade” or “I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry.”
My advice: regardless of your take on Valentine’s Day, grab a bar of chocolate and a bag of popcorn, and check out the sweet and salty side of the holiday of love in “Valentine’s Day.”
